Bookends

Fall is creeping in through the telephone. My New Englanders are o0-ing over apple trees and sweaters at night. My Portlanders are ah-ing over the final berry harvests (always the best) and foggy mornings. And my even my Pittsburghers are chatting about cooler nights and school buses on the road. But guess what? Nashville is still hot. Today it managed to hover in the low 90's-bearable but still making it tough to turn the AC off and open the windows for an afternoon breeze.

I've been desperate to escape it, so much in fact that I gave up my Sunday sleep-in to bask in the coolness of the morning. At 8am I was up, and by 830 I found myself jogging through the woods. Amazingly enough, I could even feel the breeze on my arms...impossible during the stagnant heat of mid-day. The run was good but the woods were better. There is just something incredibly opening about the woods in the morning. As if they represent an invitation to where the magic happens, while the rest of us sit inside at our desks or classrooms. A deer ran right up to me at the end. Her eyes didn't demand anything from me other than just to say "Hello". I smiled and moved on, leaving her to her leaves and ruffage breakfast platter.

Another great thing about it still being summer here are the warm nights. As the heat breaks (or the rain comes in like it did today) you watch as people in my neighborhood emerge onto their front porches to breathe a breath of non air conditioned air. And, as much as I am eager for my favorite season to begin I am enjoying thees warm nights and cool mornings. Being grateful for the bookends of the day.

Time to begin again

Hi. I missed you.

It's been two months since I last checked in, sorry. I have to say, I had every intention of keeping updated stories here of my travels. But while traveling the last thing you really think of doing is sitting in front of computer screen for long periods at a time. Why? Because, I was busy! Backpacking through Panama, saying goodbye to Portland (once again), becoming a camp counselor in Petrolia, boating with dolphins in Ventura, and watching dear friends get married in San Diego. I was busy being in the land of living (not a bad place to be if you ask me). I watched the sunsets over Arizona black mesas and sunrises over Caribbean islands. And, with each set and rise of that orange ball I became thrilled for the exploration and love I might run into the next day. It was really really good.

And now...I'm back. Routines have set in. My alarm clock is back to being set for 6:15am, I've stocked up on yogurt and granola, my fridge is full, and my home is warm. And... my beloved has returned with me to Nashville. He's here everyday and that warms my heart more than you can imagine.

So I'm set. I'm home and...tomorrow is the first day of school.

One of the funny things about being a teacher is that my year doesn't exist on the same terms as normal working adults. Rather than December 31st being the big finale and January 1st being the start of the new, my year revolves entirely around the start and end of a school year. So I guess in many ways, tonight is my New Years Eve... (cling cling go the champagne glasses in the background).

I'm ready. The lessons are prepared, the tables are clean, and even my drawing pencils are sharpened. But I have to say, as most of us do on a New Years Eve, I keep thinking of the time past. Mostly, I close my eyes and see that sunset over the mesa and even though I am so ready for the year to begin, I will be mourning this summer for a while. But I guess that is what keeps us going through the start of the new year. Thinking of those perfect moment in the past, that you can only hope you get to have again the following year.

Thanks to all of you who were a part of it. You were exactly what I needed to begin again.